Beyond the Divorce

After listening to my mom, my dad sighed deeply. "I gradually started depending on your mom. But when it rains, it pours. We only stayed in that house for a month." "Why?" I asked.

"Your mom didn't have time to work to support us while taking care of me. Plus, she had spent all her money while I was in the hospital, so the landlord kicked us out.

"That was the cruel reality. Your mother and I sat side by side with our luggage on the streets of Nocturnia that evening. At that moment, I vowed to myself then and there that I would become wealthy, well-known, and provide Moira with a secure home so she wouldn't regret saving me."

My hand subconsciously tightened around Atlas's hand, imagining the embarrassment they must have felt.

Atlas gripped my hand solidly to show that he recognized how I was feeling.

"Where did you go then?" I asked weakly.

I could guess how easy it would be to go astray in such a situation.

My dad shook his head, looking at me and Atlas. "When someone hits rock bottom, they'll cling to anything they can as if it were a lifeline. We were the same. We were homeless, and although we were discouraged, we also clung together more tightly. "Fortunately, one of my classmates helped us out and let us stay in his house. He was our lifesaver!"

My dad chuckled. "Then, I met a businessman in cosmetics from Cirencester. He was my classmate's uncle. My classmate praised me to the skies. A top student, an academic star, the most promising talent..."

"He said that?" I couldn't help but interject.

"Yes, he carefully set up the trap step by step, luring me in. He asked his uncle if any projects could earn us some extra money, like providing us with technology or formula for cosmetics while they handled the marketing. To be honest, I was very interested in my classmate's proposal."

"The trap he set was tailor-made for you," I sighed.

My father chuckled bitterly with a sour expression. "I didn't expect his uncle to give me a chance."

"He was the one who led you astray?" I murmured.

bet

My dad nodded in frustration. "At that time, purification technology in Nocturnia was very advanced. He asked me to research a formula for cosmetics, saying that the sales of this particular cosmetic were very promising and could make a lot of money.

"He said that if I could help him come up with the formula, he would pay me a commission. The amount he mentioned was astronomical for me!Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

"That... was the first step that led me

astray. I earned my first pot of gold with my knowledge. The

commission was terrifyingly high and I got it. It was the most money I had ever seen at the time. It seemed like was seeing the hope of a bright future."

He suddenly laughed, a somewhat bitter laugh that made us uneasy.

Greed!

Desire!

Those were the greatest demons in everyone's hearts, especially when there was no defense against temptation in circumstances like these.

I glanced up at Atlas, who had been listening attentively.

But my dad continued with a sneer,

"After I got the money, I wanted to grow and get revenge, which made me decide to buy a house on the spot. I didn't want to worry about not having a stable place to live

anymore, and I didn't want to see the woman who was with me suffer. That's how your mom and I finally got our own home in that indifferent and cold place, and I lived together with Moira, starting a worry-free family life."

"But misfortune began to approach us step by step." my mom sounded desperate.

"Because after that, little by little, the formula for cosmetics began to change... When I realized that, I was already deeply trapped and unable to extricate myself..."